I am asked on a regular basis about the content of the dirt in carpeting. You know how winded I can get, but this is important. Dirt comes in many different flavors for lack of a better word. The percentages of each type of dirt varies according to location and conditions, but the composition is generally the same. Common carpet soil is composed of:
Sand, silica, clay, quartz
40%
Petroleum oils, tar, etc…
10%
Gum, resins, food particles
6—10%
Human / Animal (hair, skin cells, dust mites, mite feces)
10—12%
Organic soil & dust
2—5%
Carbon deposits
3%
Miscellaneous
1—10%
Cellulose and natural fibers
5—10%
Most of the dirt (germs are dirt) and soil can be removed by thorough rinsing and extraction. In fact 80% of common soil is removed by thorough vacuuming, although, vacuums which do not exhaust outside may also be recirculating germs. Typically, even clean appearing carpeting contains substantial amounts of soil, which is quite evident especially when using a vacuum cleaner with a clear plastic dust cup. Vacuum salespeople feast on this fact. You could vacuum your carpeting a dozen times and still remove visible soil with each cleaning pass. Thoroughly rinsing and extracting carpeting will remove the majority of the attached soils. Sometimes the oily and clay types of soils require pre-conditioners to help break them free from “sticking” to the carpeting. Some soils and especially stains which have penetrated the carpet’s fibers cannot be removed by rinsing and extracting. Specialized carpet cleaning procedures and stain removal techniques are required for removal of those types of stains. Nearly all liquid spills except water require additional spotting procedures for removal. Remember, most liquid spills such as flavored drinks and the like contain food coloring and are usually on the acid side. This means that most drink spills are excellent staining agents. Urine of course is another animal all together (pun not intended). Don’t allow oily or petroleum soils to sit on the carpeting too long, they will eventually be absorbed by the carpeting and may change the color of the carpeting. The coarser gritty soils cut and scratch carpet fibers, so it is essential to vacuum thoroughly and frequently to remove those types of soils.